Pick Me

Gemstone

Here for the Journey
When I look back on my childhood the summer days were longer, the grass was greener and the sky was bluer. Thelast school term was the one where all the good things happened. There were walks in country lanes to identify trees and wildflowers, the school trips to amazing places in a coach and of course the long summer holidays to look forward to.

With summer came outdoor sports and the favourite in our school was rounders. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy rounders, it was just the humiliation!

Miss Hargreaves the PE teacher would march us down to the cloakroom where we would get undressed to our vest and knickers, boys and girls together, leaving top clothes on our coat pegs. Once divested we were marched off again down the corridor, across the playground and onto the playing field where we would sit cross legged and wait for instruction.

The first task was to elect captains. These were fairly predictable as Miss Hargreaves liked to choose the best players. After tossing a coin to see who would go first the captains would then take turns to pick their players.

As the captains picked their teams, the smiling players would line up behind them while the rest of us sat cross legged, arms folded, chins raised and smiling. Some even ventured to unfold their arms to point to their chest in a “pick me” gesture.

Me? I would sit quietly until the end, hardly bearing to breathe, never daring to draw attention to myself, waiting to be allocated to the last caller.

© July 2008
 
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Yes, been there. Absolutely horrendous way of organising team sport. Why on earth did they do that to us? Don't think it happens anymore. Hope not.
 
Thanks for the comment Frances. I used to drag my heals in the morning when it was PE as I knew I would have to be humiliated, first with the underwear thing which really made the overweight kids stand out, especially on the long walk along the corridor past all the classroom doors, then with the picking system. Well, what don't kill you makes you stronger and at least I have something to write about! x
 
I was lucky that I had bad knees so I managed to get excused from PE most of the time but the team picking stuff was horrible. What was worse, after being allocated to the last slot on the team, was the looks from all the other team members as if to say "Oh no, now we're definately going to lose!"
 
Yea. I had those looks too. Not nice. Sometimes they even said the words and everyone laughed x
 
Too dam right but we have the last laugh cos we're in control of our lives and strong despite stupid people who think they have it all sewn up. I can look at the funny side now and enjoy the laugh. I laughed then but it wasn't the same. The laughter is real now cos I've come through strong x
 
I can definately relate to this :(. The changing thing.. we had to change boys and girls together in the classroom in Primary School and I used to try and hide under the table to do so. One day when I was in Year 5 (so 10 years old) my teacher pulled me aside and she said that if I didn't try to hide maybe the other children wouldn't look at me! I don't really know what she meant but I looked at her like she was nuts and I'd still give her the same reaction now.
And yes I was always picked last or if I was lucky the one before last. :(
 
So they are still doing the same thing! I am an old bird, Taz is lots younger and you represent the younger generation. You'd think they'd have sorted it by now wouldn't you? Great to meet you mixxi. x
 
Well it happened to me and I'm only 17 now! Not sure if too much has changed since I left or if it's different in other schools. But yeah you would have thought it'd be sorted out as it's just not right at all. Nice to meet you too Gemstone.. I'm another who loves reading your topics and posts. :)
 
Thank you mixxi. It's really nice to know that someone reads what you write. Good luck with your weightloss, looks like you're well on course x
 
I think I am just echoing the general consensus here :D
Thankyou and goodluck to you too. You're doing fantastic x
 
Gem, I always read what you write even if I don't always comment. It would be pretty dull round here without all your amusing posts!
 
Oh yes, rounders i sucked at big time and hated it!T hough overall i wasnt terrible at sport and made a huge effort and got on with my pe teachers, but as i got older thr weight went on and then everything became older.
 
I used to spend my time fielding miles away. The only way to cope was daydreaming so when the ball eventually came my way I often missed it causing another round of abuse for the "chosen". x
 
Thanks Taz for your kind words and for reading my ramblings. Much appreciated.
 
i remember one term when all us 'fatties' ended up playing hockey in a team together and kept beating the pants off all the skinny and sporty bullies. i have no clue how we did it. and they kept hitting our hands and thighs with their sticks (and this was feb so man it smarted) but we still kept beating them. to this day i don't know how we did it.

i also remember coming 5th out of all the girls in the school which was full of 11-14 year olds. and i was about 12 in an athletics event. again. no clue how but i still have the medal :D strange when you are celebrating coming 5th...

abz xx
 
I know what you mean abz. I used to find all the excuses to get out of hockey - then I realised how useful the hockey stick was for getting your own back and actually got fairly good at it. I'll tell you THAT story sometime too x
 
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